Piston ring boring and beveling machine



y 1949. H. M. OLSON 2,471,006

PISTON RING BORING AND BEVELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheed l NV TOR aux N. Duo

I ATTORNEYS May 1949- H. M. OLSON 2,471,006

PISTON RING BORING AND BEVELING MACHINE Filed Dec 14, 1946 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 \NVENTOR HOLLY M OL$ON ATTORNEYS May 24, 1949.

H. M. OLSON PISTON RING BORING AND BEVELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1946 4 Shtaets-Shee't 3 gig 47 ATTORNEYs May 24, 1949. H. M. OLSON 2,471,006

I PISTON RING BORING AND BEVELING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet'4 1 l lll 7 Z HoLLY M.OLSON 2 65 \NV'ENTQQ ATTO RNEXS Patented May 24, 1949 Q PISTON RING BORING AND BEVELING MACHINE Holly M. Olson, Muskegon, Mich, assignor to Sealed Power Corporation, Muskegon, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 14, 1946, Serial No. 716,267

1 Claim. i

This invention is concerned with a machine for simultaneously boring and interiorly beveling or chamfering piston rings.

Piston rings, generally made from individual out-of-round castings, each have a segment removed at a side of the casting such that when the ring is closed at the gap left, it takes a circular form and has inherent tension causing the ring to bear with pressure against the cylinder wall. The castings are finished upon their opposed fiat sides and at the outer curved side thereof and the ends of the rings at the partings or gaps therein are closely machined. It is common practice in the final steps of machining piston rings, to interiorly bore them at their inner curved surfaces to remove the rough outer casing skin, in part at least, and, in many rings as a final step, bevel or chamfer the ring at an inner corner. Such interior boring and beveling has heretofore required two machine operations, that is, the boring is done on one machine and the beveling on another. This increases the labor costs, which costs are a major part of the cost of piston rings, many times reaching 97 percent. of the combined labor and material cost thereof.

With the present invention the rings, finished at their outside diameter, flat sides and at the gap, are placed in superimposed relation in a considerable quantity in a holding fixture therefore and the rings successively moved lengthwise of said fixture, boring and beveling tools being brought into operative relation therewith at their inside diameters, and the rings successively bored and beveled. When all of the rings held in one fixture have been thus processed and all of such rings are out of said fixture, it is removed from the machine and replaced by a succeeding ring loaded fixture.

It is a primary object and purpose of the invention to provide a machine accomplishing the above recited results in a very rapid, practical and efiective manner. One feature of the invention is that means are provided to completely close the rings at their partings, or gaps, when the boring and interior beveling takes place, thereby insuring against chipping of metal from the ring at its ends at the parting when such boring and interior beveling occurs.

Another novel feature of the invention is concerned with the structure of the boring and beveling tool holder for locating such tools at the lowest possible positions on the tool holder to reduce the extent of upward movement of the tools and their holder away from the successive uppermost rings which have been completely bored and beveled and which are successively ejected from the machine by forcing upwardly out of the holding fixture after such boring and beveling has taken place. A still further object and feature of the invention is to provide means for forceably clamping the superimposed rings together at their contacting fiat sides while the boring and beveling are taking place, to preclude any accidental movement of the rings during such operations. Many other objects and purposes of the invention will appear and be understood from the following description of a practical embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a machine for simultaneously boring and beveling piston rings.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the upper portion of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a releasable holder for the ring loaded fixtures.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section from front to rear through the machine.

Fig. 6 is a similar further enlarged vertical section showing the rings and the manner in which they are held and the positions of the machine tools at the time of boring and beveling said rings.

Fig. 7 is an under plan view of the tool holder showing the boring and beveling tools mounted thereon, and

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section therethrough on the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The supporting frame structure for the machine includes a horizontal base I from the rear portion of which a vertical hollow post 2 extends, at its upper end provided with an overhanging arm 3, and between its ends, and located between the arm 3 and the base 1, two parallel forwardly extending vertical sides 4 which, towards their outer free edges are shaped as and connected by a vertical sleeve 5 which is split lengthwise at its front side and provided with ears for the passage of closing screws or bolts 6 passing therethrough, the sleeve providing a vertical guide for a cylindrical quill mounted therein for reciprocatory movements.

At the rear side of the upper end of the post 2 an electric motor 1 is mounted for swinging movement about the vertical axis of a large pin 8 as shown in Fig. 1. The motor, through belts 9, drives a pulley EB connected with the upper end of a vertical spindle H passing through the upper end of the arm 3 and having suitable bearings therein, and which extends into a hollow cylindrical quill l2 which passes downwardly through the sleeve 5 previously described. The quill is held against rotation by a suitable key inserted through a slot in a side of a side of the sleeve 5, the slot being normally covered by an elongated plate is as shown in Fig. l. The quill is thus free for vertical movement and held against rotation. The spindle l i extends below the lower end of the quill l2 and has a socket to receive the shank M of a tool holder, provided with a head ii at the lower end of the shank, on which the boring and interior beveling tools are adjustably mounted. The upper end of the shank Hi may be connected with a rod l6 (Fig. 5) passing upwardly through the spindle ii and which, above the pulley l (not shown) may be pulled vertically to hold the shank I l tightly in its receiving socket.

The lower end of the spindle H (Fig. 6) is surrounded by a collar ll enlarged in diameter at its'upper end and exteriorly threaded, on which a ring I8- is screw connected. Spring actuated pins I 9 are mounted in the ring at spaced distances, at their upper ends bearing against the lower end of the quill l2. A circular member 20 surrounds the lower ends of the collar H and comes at its inner portion against the enlarged upper section of said collar, at the under side of which a plurality of angle brackets 2i are mounted for radial adjustment thereon each having a. downwardly extending leg, the lower edge of which is reduced in width. At one side the circulap member 23) is provided with a vertical arm 20a which at its outer side has a vertical groove receiving a roller at the lower end of a bar 22 which extends upwardly and is fixed to a sleeve 5 (Fig. 2). This holds the member 20 from rotation, the spindle ll turning freely within the collar H in the machine operation, the said collar ll extendingthrough the plate 20 with a loose fit The toolhead I5 is a block of substantially rectangular parallelopiped form. At its under side it-is adapted to have connected therewith two cuttingtools 23, one for ring boring and the other for'in-terior beveling each at one side being backed by a downwardly projecting integral backing- 24 into which a headed screw 25 is threaded. The heads of the screws come against the inner ends of thecutting tools 23 and provide an adjustment and an inner end backing therefor. Each of said cutting tools at one longitudinal corner opposite the side against a backing projection 24 is beveled fora portion of its length, as at 26. A bar 2'? with a complementary bevel at its inner end to engage the bevel 26, for each the tool, is slidably mounted-between guide ways integral with the head; l5, its outer end being slotted. Bars 29, one foreach bar 21, are located in a vertical slot in the head l5, one end being in conjunction with the slotted outer end of its bar 21, and the other rockably bearing against the tool head l5 (Fig. 8). A headed screw 39 passes through the tool head l3 and threads through each bar 29 between its ends, as shown in Fig. 8. It is evident that by tightening a screw 30 a cutter tool 23 may be tightly wedged and held against lengthwise movement and may be released for removal or adjustment by loosening itsassociated screw 30.

A lever 3| is pivotally connected between its ends toears 4a extending from the upper edges of the, sides. 4, at one end a weight 32 is suspended and, its other end is connected to a collar 33 con, nected with the upper end of the quill l2, so, that the weight tends to elevate said quill and parts associated therewith.

A horizontal shaft 3 5 extends through the sides 1 and is driven by a vertical shaft 36 by means of worm gearing 35 shown in Fig. l. The shaft 35 is in alinement with a shaft 37 but disconnected therefrom, but may be connected thereto by the juncture of clutch members 38 on the respective shafts, one of which, on the shaft 31, may be moved to connecting or disconnected positions by a hand operated lever 39. The shaft 3! is driven at a reduced rate of speed from the spindle H by belts id and a reduction gearing ll the detail of which is not set forth as such method of drive of a rapidly rotating spindle and a shaft driven at a much less speed of rotation is in itself not new and is capable of being designed by any one skilled in mechanical design.

On the shaft 34 (Fig. 5) a cam 52 is keyed. The cam is of a generally circular or disk form, recessed at one side, as indicated in dotted lines at 53 in Fig. 5. An arm 44 is pivotally mounted at one end on a cross rod 45 carried by the sides 4, and at its other end has a roller 46 bearing against the edge of the cam 42. A stirrup 4? is connected with the roller axle, extending upwardly therefrom, with which a rod 48 has a cushioned connection, the rod threading through a member 49 rockingly mounted at one end of a lever 50 which is pivotally mounted between its ends upon the same pivot as the lever 3 l. t extends at its other. end to the quill l2 and is forked to pass at each side thereof (Fig. 3), the arms of the fork having pivotal connection to bars or blocks 5| slidably received in horizontal ways out in opposite sides of the quill.

With the construction described, roller 46 riding on the cam 42 is held in an elevated position for the greater portion of the cam movement, thereby depressing the outer end of the. lever 50 and moving the quill l2, spindle H and the connected tool head iii and the tools carried thereby to their lowermost positions. When the depressed edge portion at 43 of the cam comes to the roller 48' the parts mentioned are lifted by the weight 3.2, and an elevation of the parts, including the boring and beveling tools and the pressure legs 2| takes place. the shaft 34 there is a complete reciprocation of the quill and-spindle. It is, of course, to be understood that the spindle l I at its upper portionwill be divided and spline connected to permit such movement and drive the spindle and the tools connected therewith continuously while the machine is in operation.

The piston rings which are to be, processed are held in a, proper position below the boring and interior beveling cutters. A support or housing casting has a base 52 bolted at the upper side of the base I integrally cast with which are vertical back and spaced side walls 53. At the upper ends of said walls a horizontal table 541 is cast, at itsfront side being formed with a semicylindrical recess. Associated with the table 54 is atable section 55 having its upper-side flush with the upper side of the fixed table 54, and pivotallyconnected at one side thereto for turning about a Vertical hinge pin 55, so that the section 55'may' be swung away from or moved toward the table M (Fig. 4) The table section 55 at its rear side has a semicylindrical recess therein. When the two table parts are together, as in Fig. 4, they are releasably secured against separation by manual operation of the hand lever, 57, pivotally mounted upon and movable with the table section 55', and" With each revolution of provided with a hook 58 which may engage with a pin on the table 54 to secure the table parts together, release being effected by turning the lever in the opposite direction.

In the recesses of the adjacent sides of the table parts 54 and 55 substantial semi-cylindrical bushings 59 are permanently connected. They are adapted to clamp between them When the hook '58 is engaged with the pin as described, a ring holding fixture 6! of sleeve like form, flanged at its upper and lower ends. Said fixture has a centrally disposed cylindrical. passage there through the lower end portion of which is flared outwardly and progressively increased downwardly in diameter, as indicated at cm. Said fixture at its upper portion is enlarged in diameter to receive a ring 62, the inner diameter of which is the same as the diameter of the cylindrical passage through the fixture 6!. Ring 52 in an upper zone thereof is vertically slotted at spaced distances around it to provide consecutive fingers 53 (Fig. 4) which are bent inwardly at a slight angle to the vertical. The parted and outwardly finished piston rings 64 are loaded in the fixture by insertion thereof one after another at its lower end the rings being contracted and nearly closed at their partings before reaching the inwardly bent fingers 63, and completely and tightly closed at their partings when forced to the upper ends of said fingers, the fingers being sufficiently yieldable that they may fiex outwardly slightly when a ring at its parting has been tightly closed and is upwardly forced to the upper ends of said fingers. The piston rings be disposed in vertical superimposed relation are directly under the downwardly extending legs of the L-shaped brackets 2! so that the lower ends of said legs engage the uppermost piston ring and press against it, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The boring and beveling cutters 23 at their outer cutting ends are positioned to bore all of the rings one after another and successively internally bevel each ring at its upper, inner annular corner.

A vertical post has a head 66 at its upper end adapted to enter the ring holders 6! from below against which the lowermost ring M is positioned. A vertical ratchet bar 61 is secured at the rear side of the post 65. The post, at its lower end, may extend through the bases I and 52 and is guided between its ends through a sleeve 58 mounted on a horizontal arm cast with the housing support.

Two ratchet engaging dogs 69 are located back of the bar 6?, spring actuated as shown in Fig. 5 for engagement with the teeth of the bar. Both may be moved to the rear for disengagement from the ratchet bar by lifting on the lever 10 in an upward direction. The post has a handle H connected to it between its ends and extending forward, so that the machine operator on actuating the lever H3 and grasping the handle H, may free the post for lowering at the end of a cycle of machine operations upon the rings 54 held by ring fixture 5 l.

The dogs 69 are pivotally mounted at, the forward end of a horizontal lever 12 which is pivotally mounted between its ends on the support as shown. The lever is normally turned in a counterclockwise direction by spring 13 until it is stopped by engagement with the lower end of an adjustable screw 14 (Fig. 5). A rod 15 is adjustably and rockably connected with the rear end of the lever 12 at its lower portion, and at its upper end to one end of an arm 16, the other end of which is mounted for a rocking movement on a rod 11 located below the rod 45 and, like it, carried by the sides 4. A roller 18 at the end of the arm 16 to which the rod 15 is connected rides against a second cam 19 on the shaft 34. Said cam has a circular periphery around the greater portion of it but recessed for a part of the length thereof, as at 80. Therefore, the rod 15 is reciprocated and the lever 12 moved back and forth with each rotation of the shaft 34. This is similar to the operation of the lever 50 but occurring at a, at a different time as the recessed positions 43 and of the cams are substantially diametrically opposed in position.

It is apparent that 0:; each rotation of the shaft 34, the post 65 and head 66 are moved upwardly and the design is such that such upward movement is equal to the axial thickness of apiston ring. The double pawl arrangement at 69, with one of the pawls slightly higher than the other, permits forming the ratchet bar 67 with teeth double the size which they would have to be if a single pawl was used, permitting stronger and more durable construction.

At the rear side of the ring holder SI and at its upper end, a block 8! is permanently secured. A bar $2 is secured to the table section 55 at the front thereof as shown. The movably mounted motor "I is controlled for tightening or loosening the belts 9 by hand lever 83 (Fig. 3) pivotally mounted and connected with the links 84 of a toggle link character and which, when in alinement as in Fig. 3, tension the belts 9 so that the spindle is drawn by the motor, but upon breaking the toggle, the motor pulley will turn without driving the belts. The motor as to its operation is controlled by switch 85 mounted at the side of the machine (Fig. 1). There is also connected with the lever 39 a solenoid apparatus, the solenoid winding at 86 and the armature connected with the lever by a bar 81. The Wiring circuit for the solenoid (not shown) is such that an electric circuit through the solenoid is completed when all the rings held in a ring holder have been processed, to thereby automatically disconnect the clutch 38 and stop the shaft 34 and parts associated therewith from operation, although the spindle H continues to be driven. The detail of such circuit closing in itself is well known and is not specifically disclosed.

The machine is loaded with a fixture 6|, in which a predetermined number of piston rings have been previously placed, by swinging the table section 55 outwardly, having previously lowered post 65 and its head 66, and with the cutters and pressure members 2| at their uppermost positions. The table is closed and the post 65 and its head are thereupon moved upwardly until the head comes against the lowermost piston ring. Lever 39 is moved to connect the clutch members 38, whereupon the shaft 34 is driven, and roller 46 leaving the recessed portion 43 of cam 42, the spindle, quill and connecting parts are moved to their lowermost positions. The lower end of the legs 2| bear against the uppermost ring 64 and any irregularities in thickness of the superimposed rings is compensated for by the yielding of th spring actuated pins l9. As shown in Fig, 6 the boring tool 23 is located a short distance below the beveling tool so that it internally bores the uppermost ring and partly into the next ring below, the interior beveling tool 23 being moved to its lowermost position only far enough to machine the upper ring at its inner annular corner. The feeding of the post 65 and handletsi in; an upward: direction: occurs when: the tool holding head a'nd'the tools carried thereby are in. uppermost. position, with thepressure upper; ring being forced above the fingers B3, wheneuponitis released tospring open at .it's part ing,.andsstrikinggagainst-the block BI, is propelled toward: the frontand over the bar 82ssoas to get ouii of; the WW fOll the succeeding completion ofv the boring of the next ring and its interior beveling Such. repetition of the machine operations continues: until: the last; or lowermost ring-is finished'a'and ejeot'eda Thereupon. the solenoid 86 is energizedv and the. shaft 34 which controls the upwardmovemen-t of the headtfi and the movemerit of: the; cutting tools is stopped. with said cutting: toolsin theiruppennost position and post 65' and; head; Eli may be lowered below the lower end. ofthe ring holding fixture 6|. Such fixture is then removed and replaced by a loaded fixture and the cycle operations repeated.

The: machinev is. very practical and: useful. It iszprlovided withthenecessary adjustments; With it; theatwo previously independent machine operations.:of; interior boringand beveling of piston rings. is; accomplished with the one machine, thereby. eliminating. a. second handling of the rings; necessary when. the boring and" beveling are; independently performed. This materially reduces-: the. cost of piston ring manufacture;

Theinvention is defined intheappended claiman-d is tdbeconsideredcomprehensiveof all-formsof" structure coming-= within their scope.

I claim: In a machine of the class described, a-- vertically positionedsleeve adapted to hold a plurality of parted piston rings in compressed condition,-

means for periodically moving all of said rings upwardly insaicl'sleeveadistance equal to the thickness of a ring whereby one ring is ejected from said sleeve at each such movement; meansfor machining the uppermost of said rings in said sleeve between said periodical movements;

and a block fixed above said' sleeve close-tethering openingtherein; whereby upon ejectionof' 2'13"- ring and sudden expansion thereof'it will strike said block and bounce away from the sleeve;

HOLLY M. OLSON.-

R'EFEBENCES CITED- The following references are of record. in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

